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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — a break
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — to tease
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kid — child
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com